How to play Eight Off Solitaire?

Eight Off is an easier version of FreeCell Solitaire, where there are 8 locations to put one card off of the tableau.

Goal

The goal is to move all of the cards to the foundation. Once the cards are placed Ace through King by suit in each suit's pile in the foundation, the game is won. If you cannot make further progress towards this task, the game is lost.

Gameplay

Initial Setup

The board initially has 6 cards in every one of the eight tableau columns. Four of the 8 free cells have a card in them. All of the cards are face-up, meaning that the game is categorized as an open-game of Solitaire. Each of the foundation piles are empty.

Packing solitaire cards

Packing, in Solitaire, refers to arranging cards in sequence within the tableau. The rule for packing in Eight Off is that the cards must be descending and the same suit. So you can place the 8 of Clubs on the 9 of Clubs on the tableau. If the 7 of Clubs is already on the 8 of Clubs, those two cards can be moved together only if there is 1 empty free cell.

Usage of the 8 free cells

You can place a card in a free cell if there isn't already a card placed there. There can only be one card in the free cell at a time.

Placing cards in the foundation

Cards can be moved to one of the foundation's piles at any time, but must follow two rules. If the pile is empty, the card must be an Ace, or if the pile isn't empty, the card must be one greater and the same suit as the top card of the foundation pile. So the Ace of Diamonds can be placed on the Diamonds' pile only if the pile is empty. The 5 of Diamonds can be placed on the Diamonds' pile only if the top card is the 4 of Diamonds.

Eight Off Solitaire Terms

Foundation

The Eight Off foundation is made up of 4 piles of cards, one for each suit.

Tableau

The Eight Off tableau is made up of 8 columns that initially have 6 cards. All of the cards in the tableau are face-up.

Free Cells

The Eight Off free cells are 8 squares above the 8 columns, initially with 4 squares filled with one card each. All of the cards in the free cells are face-up.